LINEUP
Saturday, October 5th 2024
Lost Grove Brewing
1026 S. La Pointe Street, Boise
10am – 10pm
Let's Hermit!
Built on more than 15 years of “junkerdash” tradition, Hillfolk takes their acoustic guitar, double bass, and “anything you can find at a hardware store” sound and integrates driving drums and an electrified sound. From mountains of frontman Travis Ward’s ragged, spiral-bound notebooks this Boise, Idaho-based band tells earnest stories about the lives of lovers, law-breakers, and the lion-hearted. “If John Steinbeck owned a speakeasy,” said John Doe (X, the Knitters), “Hillfolk Noir would be the house band.”
J.B. Nebraska
IYKYK
James Dean Kindle is a singer, songwriter, and performer born and residing in Pendleton, OR – a town most often associated with wool blankets and one of the world’s top rodeos. His eclectic approach to music performance and composition blurs the boundaries between country, folk, jazz, latin genres, and experimental music, and occupies the liminal space between high art and popular music. As both a solo artist and with his backing rock band The Eastern Oregon Playboys and as a member of the Baker City noise-collective Swäwm Pass James has released several full length albums and singles and performed in venues and festivals across the Pacific Northwest (Treefort, Jackalope Jamboree, Electric Fences) and internationally (Japan and Germany).
In 2022 James performed as one of many Johnny Cashs in the Elgin Opera House’s production of “Ring of Fire” and performed minimalist composer Steve Reich’s “Electric Counterpoint” with the Oregon East Symphony. In January 2023, his original instrumental compositions were featured in the KUOW / NWPB / NPR podcast series “Ghost Herd” by public broadcast journalist Anna King.
His current backing band, dubbed “His Country Combo” consists of pedal steel guitarist Roger Conley, acoustic bassist Aaron Engum, and percussionist Tim Mustoe.
When James is not performing, recording or teaching private music lessons he serves as Executive Director of the Oregon East Symphony.
Degler
Zachary Degler leads this group of adventurous musicians, bending genre and style to the whims of its members. With one foot in the indie rock camp, and the other foot kicking wildly, or stepping gingerly, into whatever sounds the band wants to explore that day, the goal for Degler is to keep things fun and interesting for those creating, and for those consuming. Zack writes the songs, plays guitar, and sings. Alongside him is Frankie Tillo on guitar and vocals, Mike Mitchell on drums, Davis McDonald on bass, and Max Smay on keys. While the official paperwork is still being processed, Zack plans to adopt all members of the band, and eventually the audience, into his ever-changing, ever-growing, ever-lovin’ family.
“You’re all Deglers now. All of you.”
Janis Carper has an ability to craft lyrics and melodies that reach into the heart and mind. Her solid guitar playing supports songs that grip the listener—from the somber and reflective to the light and humorous. Carper’s singing style reflects influences like Bonnie Raitt, Rosanne Cash, and Lucinda Williams.
Of most recent acclaim, “Of This World” written with partners Becca Christel Palm and Tracy Spring was released on In These Times, the latest cd by Peter, Paul and Mary. The song has also entered the repertoire of the Aurora Chorus, and “artichoke folk” Kate Power and Steve Einhorn
Carper’s compact disc No Place to Land was chosen as one of the top twelve independent recordings by Nashville’s The Performing Songwriter magazine.
Janis was a 1990 finalist in the Sing Out! sponsored New Folk songwriter competition at the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas. She was also a winner in the 1990 Columbia Folk Festival’s songwriting competition in Spokane, WA and a finalist in the Emerging Songwriter’s Competition at the Napa Valley Folk Festival in California in 1991 and 1997.
Janis Carper toured throughout the United States with the Missouri Repertory Theatre as guitarist in Peter Glazer’s musical “Woody Guthrie’s American Song”, and appeared in productions of the same show at the Seattle Repertory Theatre, Pope Theatre Co. in Palm Beach, Florida, and Vienna’s English Theatre, Austria. She also appeared in the world premier musical/theatrical production “Happenstance” by Steven Dietz & Eric Bain Peltoniemi at Seattle’s A Contemporary Theatre.
In addition to solo performances, Janis has built a reputation as a fine backup vocalist and guitarist on stage and at local recording studios. She sang backup with David Bromberg on his Northwest tours, and has co-produced and performed on recordings with such regional artists as Larry Murante, Neal Woodall, Belinda Bowler, Dan Maher and Heidi Muller.
Currently, Janis enjoys performing with Carolyn Lochert as JEZEBEL’S MOTHER. She is also the executive director of the Wallowa Valley Music Alliance, and media coordinator at Fishtrap, Inc.
The Sheep Bridge Jumpers are a Americana folk band born on the banks of the Big Wood River in Ketchum Idaho. Their story telling style of music and multiple harmonies will make you want to sing along, grab the hand of the person next to you and move your feet.
Lena Marie Schiffer is a folk singer and songwriter based in Livingston, Montana. She has carved a notable niche in the music industry, particularly during her decade-long journey with the bluegrass group, Laney Lou and the Bird Dogs. In this influential group, Lena’s multifaceted role as a lead singer, rhythm guitarist, songwriter, and manager helped elevate the Bird Dogs to national acclaim. Her time with the band not only showcased her musical prowess but also deepened her passion for the craft, resulting in her emergence as a prolific songwriter with a distinctive fusion of folk, indie, and Americana influences.
Attending a show with Lena is an intimate journey. She writes lyrics that offer deeply personal reflections and insightful observations about the world, creating a universal resonance. Her pure and soaring vocal melodies, influenced by icons like Joni Mitchell, Emmylou Harris, and Alison Krauss, are complemented by guitar and light percussion. With each note, Lena invites listeners into a shared experience and leaves a lasting impression on those in the room.
Lena formed a trio in 2024 and is joined by Ani Casabonne on fiddle and Kailey Marie on upright bass. This cohesive group is bound by original songwriting, intricate vocal harmonies, and folk instrumentation, and is a joy to listen to in any setting.
Nick Delffs is not a protest singer. He’s not a gospel singer. Still, subversiveness and spirituality permeate Transitional Phase, his long-awaited second solo album. The product of five years of musical and personal growth that coincided with widespread social upheaval and a global pandemic – just as Delffs navigated first-time fatherhood, losing friends, and approaching his 40s; all weaved these songs.
Now Boise-based, Nick Delffs has been a beloved staple of Pacific Northwest music since emerging with his Portland-based band The Shaky Hands in the mid-2000s. It was clear then, as it is now, that he possessed an authentic—maybe ancient—voice. Transitional Phase is some of his finest and most vulnerable work. As the title suggests, it’s an album about opening oneself up to change, refusing the calcification that comes with age, and opting for wholesale transformation instead.
Incidentally, “Transformation” is the title of the album’s opening track. It’s a looping, percussive opener, a dub-inflected signal that Transitional Phase’s themes of change and transfiguration will not be limited to its lyrics. Like much of the new album, it was recorded in early 2020 at co-producer/collaborator Eli Moore’s spacious and strange
Crash-landing in Boise, Idaho, in the winter of 2023, Mobius Trip is a five-piece rock outfit that harkens back to times gone by and spaces rarely traveled. Inspired by legendary acts of the ’60s like Cream, The Beatles, and Pink Floyd, as well as more obscure gems like Ultimate Spinach, The Mops, and St. John Green, Mobius Trip has forged their own brand of double-dipped acid rock, light and flowery psychedelic pop, and searing blues rock.
Rhythm guitarist Mason Jackson channels his unique songwriting talents to craft sonic soundscapes that are brought to this dimension by lead guitarist Steven Sherden, drummer Alex Wargo, bassist Justin Binau, and keyboardist Simeon Titmus.
Floating Witch’s Head is a Boise-based project concocted by Travis Ward (guitars & vocals) with Michael Mitchell (drums & percussion) and Eric Gilbert (keyboards & head shakes). RIYL: garage, psych, swamp, proto-punk, acid rock, beards, hot peppers, pickles, parties, nice people.